PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT 555 PM EDT FRI AUG 17 2007 ...STORM SURVEY RESULTS FROM THE AUGUST 16 SEVERE STORMS... THERE WERE TWO LONG-LIVED SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS THAT IMPACTED THE AREA. THE FIRST DEVELOPED OVER CLINTON COUNTY NEW YORK SHORTLY AFTER 3 PM AND MOVED QUICKLY EASTWARD...AFFECTING AREAS AROUND BEEKMANTOWN AND CUMBERLAND HEAD BEFORE MOVING ACROSS LAKE CHAMPLAIN AND INTO GRAND ISLE VERMONT JUST BEFORE 4 PM. THE STORM THEN CONTINUED EAST IMPACTING AREAS AROUND GEORGIA...FAIRFAX AND MILTON BETWEEN 4 AND 415 PM. THE STORM THEN CONTINUED EAST ACROSS LAMOILLE COUNTY AND INTO CALEDONIA COUNTY AFTER 5 PM. THE STORM FINALLY MOVED INTO NEW HAMPSHIRE SHORTLY BEFORE 6 PM. THE SECOND STORM DEVELOPED OVER NORTHWESTERN RUTLAND COUNTY AROUND 530 PM...AND MOVED EAST REACHING WINDSOR COUNTY AROUND 630 PM. THIS STORM MOVED INTO NEW HAMPSHIRE AROUND 7 PM. BOTH STORMS HAD RADAR BASED INDICATIONS THAT A TORNADO WAS POSSIBLE...THUS THE REASON FOR THE TORNADO WARNINGS. BECAUSE OF THE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE CAUSED BY BOTH STORMS...NWS SURVEY TEAMS WERE SENT OUT TO DETERMINE THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE DAMAGE. SUPERCELL NUMBER 1/CHAMPLAIN VALLEY STORM PLATTSBURGH/CUMBERLAND HEAD NEW YORK AREA... THE DAMAGE ACROSS THE AREA IS CONSISTENT WITH STRAIGHT LINE THUNDERSTORM WINDS OF 70 TO 90 MPH...AS ALL THE DAMAGE OCCURRED IN THE SAME DIRECTION. THERE WERE REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS BEING OBSERVED...HOWEVER IT APPEARS THAT NONE OF THESE TOUCHED DOWN. WINDS AT TREADWELL BAY MARINA IN PLATTSBURGH WERE CLOCKED AT 79 KNOTS...OR 91 MPH. IN CUMBERLAND BAY STATE PARK A TREE FELL ON A TENT AND INJURED ONE PERSON. GRANDE ISLE VERMONT... STRAIGHT LINE THUNDERSTORM WINDS...ALSO ESTIMATED AT 70 TO 90 MPH OCCURRED ACROSS THIS AREA AS WELL RESULTING IN NUMEROUS TREES DOWN. THE CENTER OF THE MAXIMUM WINDS APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 4 MILES WIDE ALONG ROUTE 2...FROM JUST NORTH OF GRAND ISLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NORTHWARD TO NORTH HERO. GEORGIA/MILTON VERMONT AREA... IT WAS DETERMINED BY THE PATH OF DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES...AS WELL AS INTERVIEWS WITH SOME RESIDENTS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY STRAIGHT LINE THUNDERSTORM WINDS ESTIMATED AT LEAST 70 MPH...AND PROBABLY AS HIGH AS 90 MPH. FAIRFAX VERMONT... A SURVEY CONDUCTED THIS MORNING INDICATED A SWATH OF WIND DAMAGE ABOUT 1.5 MILES WIDE THAT WAS DUE TO STRAIGHT LINE THUNDERSTORM WINDS OF 70 TO 90 MPH. THIS ASSESSMENT WAS BASED ON ALL TREES THAT WERE DOWNED WERE ALL IN THE SAME DIRECTION...ROUGHLY POINTING OFF TO THE SOUTHEAST...INDICATING THAT THE STRONG WINDS CAME IN FROM THE NORTHWEST. SUPERCELL NUMBER 2/RUTLAND COUNTY STORM CHITTENDON VERMONT... THE SURVEY TEAM REPORTS THAT DAMAGE IN THIS AREA WAS ALSO DUE TO STRAIGHT LINE THUNDERSTORM WINDS...IN THE RANGE OF 70 TO 90 MPH. THE DAMAGE AREA APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 1/2 MILE WIDE AND 2 TO 3 MILES LONG. THEY NOTED HUNDREDS OF TREES UPROOTED OR SNAPPED...BUT ALL BLOWN DOWN IN THE SAME DIRECTION...ROUGHLY NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST. THE WORST DAMAGE APPEARED TO BE ALONG CHITTENDEN ROAD WHERE THE WIND WAS FUNNELED AND ACCELERATED BETWEEN THE HILLS TO THE WEST AND EAST. THIS WAS THE MOST CONCENTRATED AREA OF DAMAGE ACROSS RUTLAND COUNTY. HUBBARDTON/PITTSFORD VERMONT AREAS... THE SURVEY TEAM ONLY FOUND SPORADIC TREE DAMAGE ACROSS THIS PART OF THE COUNTY. THE FEW TREES THAT WERE DAMAGED WERE ALSO BLOWN DOWN IN THE SAME DIRECTION...INDICATING STRONG WINDS FROM THE NORTHWEST. DUE TO THE MORE SPORADIC NATURE OF THE DAMAGE...WINDS ACROSS THIS PART OF THE COUNTY ARE ESTIMATED TO HAVE BEEN IN THE 45 TO 65 MPH RANGE.